The significant cuts and decrease in the allocation of funds of occupancy cost (rental ceiling) for the educational institutions working under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) have created difficult for the teachers who are unable to pay rents from their own pockets in the prevailing inflation.
According to an official source, the payment of house rental ceiling to the teachers had been the most serious and pinching issue when the allocation has decreased over 50 pc in many cases as compared to the previous year beside a huge backlog of pending rent.
Islamabad Model College of Commerce H-8/4 is the most sufferers among all the institutions. Its allocation for the current fiscal year 2022-23 has decreased 75.4 pc compared to the previous year 2021-22.
The college is allocated an amount of Rs 2,709,000. Previously it was allocated 10,993,000. Thirty two teachers of this college keep paying rent out of their own pockets lowering their risk of eviction. There is little amount left over to cover their basic needs after paying rent.
Islamabad Model Postgraduate College H-8/2 is allocated Rs 12,181,000 in the head of rental ceiling while it was allocated an amount of Rs 20,518,000 which was also not sufficient to clear the rent. The college had cleared the rent up to October 2021. The new allocated amount is not sufficient to clear even previous year rent.
Islamabad Model College for Girls (Postgraduate) F-7/4 is also facing the cut of 53 pc in the current year. It was allocated and amount of Rs 19167000 in the year 2021-22 while this time, the allocation is Rs 9039000.
Similarly Islamabad Model College for Boys H-9 was allocated Rs 22,531,000 previously. In the current year, the amount slashed to Rs 16,719,000, hence facing a cut of 26 pc. IMCG (PG) F-7/2 is facing 32Pc reduction in allocation in the head of occupancy cost.
IMCB Sihala was also granted a meager amount of Rs 3,473,000 which cannot cover the backlog of rent. IMCG (PG) G-10/4 and Islamabad College for Girls F-6/2 receive 20 pc less amount as compared to previous fiscal year. IMCB I-10/1 and IMCB F-10/3 also face 29.7 pc and 28.7 pc reduction in the allocated fund. There is lengthy list of school and colleges which could not get desirable funds in rental ceiling.
Professor Farhan Azam Senior Vice President of Federal Government College Teachers association (FGCTA) said, “Despite the constant pending rent, the allocation has decreased. A huge amount of pending rent has been accumulated which has not been paid to the owners of houses by the government. Rent is an expense that is paid to the owner on a fixed schedule. If it is not paid well in time, tenant will face eviction.
The owners are constantly riding on the nerves of the teachers and repeatedly demanding the current and pending rent of their houses.
In many cases teacher have borrowed money from the banks to pay the rent which is a liability of government. Many teachers pay rent from their own pocket, leaving with too little money to spend on everything else.
Anam Kaleem Joint secretary of FGCTA said, “For most teachers, rent is the biggest expenditure. Skyrocketing rents and non-payment of rent have pulled the rug out from under many teachers living in the capital city.
Moreover inflation has shot up in the country because of political and economic instability. “Our teachers are facing pending rent as well as high inflation which has serious implications on their well-being,” she said.
Dr Rahima Rehman president of FGCTA said, “Rising rents, fuel prices, external value of rupee prices of food and other necessities are big drivers of inflation which fall especially hard on low income groups like teachers, posing a challenge for policymakers.
Soaring rents are compounding financial stress on low incomes teachers who depends upon government rental ceiling. Rents are rising at rates far above the rise in rental ceiling of teachers.
She urged the government to pay heed to this burning issue of the teachers by allocating a sufficient amount immediately to the educational institutions to clear the pending rent.
Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) being the custodian of its employees should play its role to get the funds,she said.
